A Good Season for Corn and Chèvre

Spring is, after Autumn, my favorite cooking and eating season. An abundance of vegetables that I love to use daily, including King Corn, are out there, waiting for your hand.

The other day I was in a market and ran across some corn that was advertised as having arrived that day, so I asked the clerk and she told me that, yes, the corn had been delivered from a farm in Texas that morning. I selected a few ears and immediately had a dish in mind. (And my mind wandered to a meal I had in 2013 at Hot and Hot Fish Club.)

There were some good peas in a basket, so I put a few handfuls of those in my bag and moved on.

Back home, I toasted a bit of pimentón in a pan and let it smoke for a few seconds. (Toasting dried spices is a great way to taste their best flavor.) Add some salt to the pan as well. I husked the ears of corn and cut the kernels into a bowl, then shelled the peas and chopped a shallot and some garlic. Butter and olive oil into the pan with the pimentón, stir it a bit, then add the garlic and shallot and soften on low heat. Meanwhile, blanch the peas (lots of salt in the blanching water) and put them in an ice bath. Put the corn and the peas in the pan and cook on low, stirring as often as you want.

You’ll know when the corn and peas are ready, especially if you cook this a lot this spring, which I recommend you do. Warm some bowls, plate, then, as a final touch, top with some chèvre. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.